


Remile: Orange Tea

by CandiWolfe



Series: Sanders Sides: Human AUs [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abusive Ex, Abusive Parents, Angst, Backstory, Blood, Courtrooms, Crying, Demus/Dukeceit, Fluff, Fluffy, Gay, Hosipital Visits, LGBTea; a wonderful cafe found in my mind, LMAO, M/M, Prinxiety - Freeform, Sad, Slow Burn, Suicide Attempts, Therapy, Verbal violence, Violence, climbing trees, coffee shop AU, happy for a while, logicality - Freeform, lots and lots of blood, no smut at all, oh so very gay, physical violence, remile - Freeform, shouting, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24582535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CandiWolfe/pseuds/CandiWolfe
Summary: WARNING: None of these characters are mine-- I only take credit for the story I stuck them in and the circumstances that happen. Abuse, suicide attempts, verbal & physical assault.After a breakup with an abusive partner, life seems to be going downhill for Remy Queen. He tries the only thing he can-- suicide.Luckily, he fails and manages to survive. Soon after, during a picnic, his friends notice the scars. They somehow convince him to see a therapist: Dr. Emile Picani, who Remy's friends are sure will help him through everything.But what will happen when the two seemingly fall in love?(Some Logicality, Prinxiety, and Demus/Receit)
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: Sanders Sides: Human AUs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776862
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. 11 AM to 3 PM

Yesterday, I was metaphorically and almost literally dead. I still am, probably. I've been dead for a while now.

Yesterday, my soul was torn in half. My body was ripped to pieces by what is left of my willpower and the knife drawer.

Yesterday, I saw my blood leaking out of me, thick streams running down my arms and onto the white tiles of my floor. Bright red and salty, I noticed with a twinge of amusement. It was amusing, even though it wasn't funny. I've been laughing at things that aren't funny recently, I don't know what's wrong with me.

Today, my friends saw.

Like I expected, they forced me to go to a therapist. I've never liked sharing my problems. Sometimes I vent to my friends here and there, but a therapist is a stranger. Some random person who says they can help me but then enlists me stuff that will never work. I don't like therapists. Why should I start now?

My friends got me an appointment with him on Sunday, from 11 AM to 3 PM.

I'm not looking forward to it. I don't need a therapist. I can take care of this myself, whatever that means. Whether it means taking matters into my own hands or taking matters to a knife, I don't care. I don't want to go to a therapist. I don't need one.

They said he was hot though so I'm going anyway.

\---

Remy Queen's friend Roman Prince was driving him to his appointment in his black minivan. Roman glanced back at Remy, who was examining his nails with a bored air. He bit his lip and turned back to the road.

"You know, you should have told us," he said to Remy. "We could have-- should have helped. I should have noticed. I needed to--"

Remy waved his hand, cutting Roman off. "Nah, Princey, there was nothing you could've done. Now don't take that personally, darling," he added, seeing Roman's indignant yet still sad face. "I'm just saying the truth, nothing more."

Remy's friend sighed. "I know..."

"Yes, you do know. So stop feeling bad, you mopy waffle," Remy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not ya'll's fault, you should know that, mkay?" He took a sip of his coffee and twirled the straw around, hearing it bump into the ice cubes.

Roman glanced behind him again. "Just... don't--"

Remy snapped his head up. "Don't what, Princey?"

A heavy silence filled the minivan, so thick Remy could almost taste it. He swallowed an insult, settling for laying his head against the seat and muttering a swear into his straw. "I know what you were gonna say, bitch."

"We're here."

Roman pulled into the parking lot. Remy looked lazily out the window, then shook his head. The building was pretty large and built out of tan concrete. There were lots of windows and about three stories, from what he could tell. It was imposing, the last place he'd go voluntarily. But then again, since when was being forced to go voluntary?

They exited the minivan, Remy bringing his coffee with him. He needed it, he couldn't deal with some weirdo giving him prescriptions without some caffeine in his system. He might not even be able to deal with it with the caffeine. He groaned to himself and pulled his hat over his eyes, feeling his hair in his face. He had pretty long hair, and had been born with a natural streak of black running through the dark brown strands. He didn't care, and had recently dyed the tips dark inky black like the streak. It made it fit in.

Roman led Remy up the stairs and into the building, where a registration lady sat waiting. "Hello, Ms. Carter." Roman greeted her with a nod and a wave, they obviously knew each other. "It's good and not-so-good to see you again."

She laughed lightly and asked them where they were going. "Is this handsome boy your boyfriend?" she asked, winking. "I know you told me you had one, dear."

Remy raised an eyebrow and Roman chuckled. "No, no, we're just friends. I'm dating Virgil. This is my friend Remy Queen, he's Patton's brother."

Ms. Carter nodded. "Sorry. So where are you going?"

"Um, just upstairs to the therapy apartment," Roman answered. "Appointment for Remy H. Queen from 11 to 3."

The lady smiled, clicked a few times on her computer, and pointed them to the stairs. "Up there. You'll ask the people at the desk for Dr. Emile Picani. Good luck, dears!"

As the two walked away, Remy glanced at his friend. "You seem to be friendly."

Roman shrugged. "I come here sometimes with Virgil to help him out during appointments. He has a different therapist, Ms. Angelica. She's nice, I've heard, but from what Virge recommends, Dr. Picani is more your style."

"Oh, really..." Remy muttered. He looked down at his coffee and back at Roman. "Is he hot?"

Roman burst out laughing. He almost doubled over, but Remy caught him in time. The redhead looked up at Remy, tears in his eyes. "That's your first question? Is he hot?"

Remy felt his face growing a bit warm. "Yes, and?" 

"I mean, I guess so," Roman remarked. "He's kinda cute, my gay sir. Can't let Virgil hear me say that though, that boy has a yandere streak running a mile and a half wide." The two chuckled.

They began walking up the stairs. The walls upstairs were painted a nice lilac, with paintings hung every meter or so. Couches were scattered around as well as waiting chairs and behind a counter were several people who looked to be registration people like Ms. Carter. Remy and Roman took a seat on a scarlet couch with gold starbursts and grey buttons. 

Across from them was a person with black hair and dark gothic clothes. They waved. Remy didn't wave back, but Roman did. 

What was with his friend knowing everybody?! 

"Hey, so I have to go. Logan's texting me. Just check right in there and you'll see Dr. Picani in a bit, alright?" Roman asked Remy.

Remy nodded, blowing a breath out. "Sure, sure," he replied. 

Roman grinned and stepped out, waving. Remy gave a nod and stood up from the couch. He should probably check himself in, shouldn't he? He stepped up to the counter. "Excuse me, ma'am. Appointment for Dr. Emile Picani with Remy H. Queen from 11 to 3."

The man behind the counter flipped through a checkbook and nodded. "Sure. He'll be out in just a bit."

Remy breathed a sigh of relief and walked back to the couch, crossing his arms and waiting.

\---

"Remy H. Queen?"

A man poked his head out of a door. Remy grinned at him and stood up, re-adjusting his black jacket. "Yup, right here in the flesh," he replied.

The man smiled back at him. "Well, come on! We can't wait all day, can we?"

Remy walked towards the door, looking at him. Dr. Picani was a bit shorter than Remy and had golden-brown hair with pink tips. His eyes were a pale green with golden undertones and metallic copper flecks. He was wearing a tan button-up sweater and a pink tie along with brown pants and black boots. 

And hot damn, he was cute.


	2. Chapter 2

I opened the door and glanced out at the seats. "Remy H. Queen?" I called, looking around expectantly.

A boy about my age, 20 or 21, stood up and waved. He was wearing dark sunglasses and a black jacket with ripped jeans and mossy green sneakers. His jacket was unbuttoned and a grey t-shirt was worn beneath it. His hair was dark brown with the ends and a streak dyed inky black. It was shoulder-length and looked very soft, with a dark gold hat pulled over it.

"Right here in the flesh," he called back. I raised my eyebrows, trying but failing to hold back a smile.

He winked at me. I felt my face grow a bit hot but tried to shake it off. That all failed, though, when he smirked a moment later. I groaned internally. 

This boy just had to be a giant flirt, didn't he? Oh, why, universe, why?! 

"W-well come on then, we can't wait all day can we?" I stuttered out.

I led him into my room and shut the door behind us, sighing in quiet relief. My room always smelled nice, with the half dozen air fresheners around everywhere. The end result of so many sweet-smelling things was that my room constantly smelled like vanilla. It was nice. 

The boy, Remy Queen, seemed to like the smell. He closed his eyes and breathed it in deep as I watched. Then he opened his eyes and I could see him glancing at me.

Oh no, did he catch me staring? I hope he didn't--

"Like what you see, darlin?" he cooed, smirking again. I blinked, then the realization of what he had said hit me with the force of a tsunami.

I flushed bright red, I was sure. "W-what?" I choked out. "I-I-- we should get started," I mumbled, sifting through the papers on my constantly messy desk. 

He smiled. "Sure. I'm sure you know why I'm here, correct?"

I looked at his paper. "Suicide attempt..." my voice trailed off. This boy, sitting here smiling flirtily in front of me, had apparently tried to kill himself a few days ago. Luckily it had not worked and his friends had noticed the still-raw scars. 

I was just glad he was in therapy now. "And... a-and depression, anxiety, ADHD and a severe... guilt problem?"

He nodded, fidgeting, and took a sip of his coffee. "Yup. That's me. I'm in college, and I suppose I just couldn't take the failure that is my life any longer."

I stood up. "No! That is not--" I cut myself off. I was yelling. 

Remy flinched back, almost spilling his drink. I saw a flash of fear in his eyes right before it was smoothed over with the acting level of a queen. It was flawless-- I caught myself even wondering if what I had seen was real. 

"Sorry," I muttered. "I don't... don't like it when people say stuff like that."

I placed my hands on the table, a trick I learned from my school: if someone flinches when you yell, or shows other signs of abuse, always show your hands. Don't narrow your eyes. Smile gently, not widely, and talk calmly.

It looked like it was working, I swear I saw him relax slightly. "That's alright honey, I get it. My brother Patton doesn't like it when I say stuff relating to that sort either. But then again, if you don't like talking 'bout depression, why're you a therapist?"

I froze. "It's not-- not like that. I just-- it was the self-deprecating talk that got to me," I admitted. 

Remy lowered his sunglasses and I almost died. His eyes were a shade of amber, sweet like honey except more golden-brown. They were owl-like and I could see faint circles under them, like he hadn't slept recently. That wasn't good.

He took another sip of his drink. "So what's this therapy to do?" he asked, crossing his legs.

"Well, this is the first lesson, so we should get to know each other," I told him. He raised his eyebrows and smirked. I felt a blush growing again on my cheeks. "Not like that, Remy!"

"Okay gurl, okay, calm down. I must say, Roman was right though," he admitted. "You are quite cute."

I almost squeaked. "N-no! Just-- okay." I breathed in, and out. At the end of this, I would need therapy. "Okay. So, do you want to tell me about why you tried to commit suicide or do you want to play cards?"

Remy set his coffee down. "How about... both."

"Both?"

"Both. Do you not understand, darlin? We play cards and maybe discuss my feelings." 

I nod cautiously and get the playing cards out, flip through them and take one of the queens out. I was about to set them down on the table in front of us when Remy leaned forward, close to my face. I froze. 

Upon seeing my reaction, he smirked. "I don't think I trust you. Mind if I look through the cards to check if you're not cheating, dear Emile?"

He didn't wait for a response(and I'm not sure I could have gave one, with his face so close to mine anyway) before slipping his hands over my own and looking through the cards. 

His hands were smooth and soft, with a few rough spots. I felt an old scar on his palm and shivered. His skin was very warm. 

He finished and drew back, sticking his tongue out slightly at me. I felt a bit dizzy. Was it the air fresheners being too strong or were the lights too bright? I'd have to check later.

"So let's start, darling. I'll go first."

We started to play old maid. 

Several turns in, I noticed he was very good. "Uhm, Remy?" I murmured, setting down a pair of aces. He glanced up at me and nodded, a sign for me to go ahead and talk. "Why did you try? Was it stress, or a romantic relationship going awry?"

Remy let out a soft chuckle, blowing a strand of hair back from his face. "Well... that's a very upfront question."

I nodded. "Yeah. Oh, I-- I'm sorry. Are you not comfortable with talking about it yet? That's fine, we can talk about something else."

He thought for a moment but then shook his head. "I'll tell you a bit about it. So me and my boyfriend Andy had broken up a few weeks before. It wasn't exactly what you would call a 'healthy relationship', but..." he trailed off.

I nodded. Unhealthy relationship. I crossed out the words in my head. "Okay. Do you want to talk more about that?"

He bit his bottom lip. "...later," he replied quietly. I could see him reaching for his arm and I sucked in a breath.

"Maybe don't do that," I suggested. "I used to scratch at my arm to deal with my anxiety myself, but I can't really do it anymore after... something... happened." 

Remy glanced up at me and I guess he saw the warning in my eyes. He smiled quietly and withdrew his hand. "Alright, darlin." His voice was soft and frayed, like an old hoodie that had been worn for years. 

We played in silence for a while after that. He was winning, I noticed. 

And then, he suddenly began to talk again. 

"Andy was nice. Well, he was most of the time, but sometimes he would..." His voice grew softer and he motioned to his face. I saw a faint scar running over his cheek and almost reaching his eye. It was old and the initial injury had obviously faded, but I could see the pain in his eyes.

I bit my lip. 

"I thought it was part of having a relationship. Everyone told me he was the best one for me, taking me out places and giving me stuff. But it just didn't feel right most of the time, unless we were with one of my friends." He buried his face in his arms. "He was just so nice around my friends... it made me feel like I was crazy."

I moved my hand, wrapping it gently around his wrist. He tensed up at the touch at first, but then cozied up to it and gave me a sweet and genuine smile. I smiled back, feeling the hint of warmth in my cheeks again. "Hey. You're not crazy. That's a tactic used by abusers and manipulators, they often make their victims feel like they are overreacting."

Remy sighed. "I know... but still, it hit me hard. We were old friends, you know... and he was always so kind before he started to..."

He set his cards down and I could see that his hands were shaking. I got up from my seat and moved around the table to hug him from behind. I moved my own hands to his hair and started to half-pet, half-comb through the thick tangles. "Hey, hey, it's alright now. He's not here, you know? He's not. Don't worry."

Remy glanced up and I moved off him. I always forgot some people aren't as open to physical contact as I am. "S-sorry," I murmured.

He surprised me again though, by grabbing my arm and pulling me downward again. I froze up at first, but then I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed gently. He swallowed thickly and I burrowed my head into the crook of his shoulder. He was warm and cozy, and the hug felt nice. I kind of wanted to stay like this, but there was more to talk about.

"Okay," I mumbled, moving off of him awkwardly, still blushing. "What do you want to talk about next?"


	3. The Appointment Part 2

We had begun to talk about Andy. While I talked, it felt like a heavy weight was slowly being removed from my shoulders. But I certainly didn't tell him too much.

Like when he would hit me. And shut me up. And that one time--

No! 

Don't-- don't ever fucking think about that.

Never... again.

I felt myself beginning to cry, pinpricks of tears in my eyes, when Dr. Picani stood up and wrapped his arms around me from behind. I tensed up at first, but then melted into the warm embrace. He was just so nice and warm...

I then realized he had actually made me talk about my problems. That wasn't an easy feat, so that act alone said something about his therapeutic skills. 

One reason I was probably so open was that his office smelled like vanilla, a nice sweet familiar scent that reminded me of the time I had eaten an entire tub of vanilla ice cream in an hour. By myself. 

Wonderful memories. 

I glanced up at Dr. Picani and saw him smiling, but when he saw me looking up at him his smile faded and he took a step back, trembling slightly.

"S-sorry," he whispered.

I didn't like his whisper. It sounded like a whimper, kind of, and I wanted to see him happy. I wanted to see him smile again, so I took his wrist and pulled him into another hug. He returned it, nuzzling slightly into my neck. I could feel him smiling and felt a warm feeling bloom in my chest. 

After a while, Dr. Picani cleared his throat and moved away. He sat back in his seat and gave me a shy smile. "A-anyway, back to what we were talking about. Is there anything else that caused you to..." he waved his hand, essentially telling me what he meant.

I nodded and leaned back in my seat, grabbing my iced coffee again. "Yup. Sure is." 

I'll just give him a quick rundown. Not too much info. I don't want to talk about... that.

"I didn't see a future job for me, my friends had been distanced from me because of that bitch Andy, and, well, y' know life is shit."

Dr. Picani nodded along, a truly interested look on his face. He leaned forward, placing his head in his hands. "Tell me more."

Should I tell him?

No, not yet.

"Well, after he left, I started to see symptoms of abusive relationships in my family, like with me and my parents. I used to think they were at least sorta accepting of me, cause they bought me a house, but now I see it's more like 'get out of my house' kinda shit."

I sighed and took another sip of my coffee. It was very sweet. "So, you know... normal, at least normal-ish for a depressed, anxious gay teen."

"It's cool that you're gay," Dr. Picani told me, smiling sweetly. "I had my suspicions, but I don't like to assume," he explained. "I'm pansexual!"

My fears didn't exactly melt away at his smile and words like they say in cliche dime novels, but they did ease a little bit. And whoa, this cute darling was pan? I might have a chance after all...

I smirked. "Well then, dear, want to continue our game of old maid?" I asked, picking my cards up off the table. He blushed at the pet name and nodded. I leaned back in my chair, stretching out my hands. "I'm winning anyway."

He grinned. "No, you're not," he replied, setting down a pair. I smirked back. 

We chatted for some more time over the cards as the end of the appointment draws closer. We finished our game(I won) and continue to talk. I glanced at my phone and my eyes grew wide as I saw the time was 2:47 already. I should leave soon.

"Hey, so I have to leave pretty soon," I told Dr. Picani, or Emile as I've started calling him. He looked up and pouted.

"Aw, really?" he asked. I almost laugh at his expression, but settle for a smile instead. 

Rolling my eyes, I cracked my knuckles. "Yup, sorry darlin. Gotta go soon. Look at the time."

He glanced at his phone and yelped. "Oh my goodness, you're right," he said. "Sorry for taking up so much of your time."

I bit my lip. "Nah, it's fine. Actually, I wanted to ask you..." I trailed off, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Wanted to..."

Emile tilted his head like a puppy. "Ask me what, Remy?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, still glancing away. "Um, well, would you like to meet up on Sunday or something for coffee?"

His eyes widen. "Are you asking me--"

"No, no, nothing like that," I said before I could think. A blush coated my face and I shook my head rapidly. I could have sworn his smile dims a little, but before I can notice, it's back up again. "No, I just wanted to talk some more."

He grinned. "Sure, Remy! Sounds great! Where do you want to meet up?"

I pretended to think. "Where do you think? I'm fine with whatever, so you can choose."

Emile put a finger to his lips thoughtfully. "Huh, can we go to that gay cafe and then go to a park?"

"You mean LGBTea?" I asked, smirking. He blushed a little, but nodded. I grinned again. "Cool. It's a--" I caught myself, blushing again. "--a not-date."

Laughing, Emile claps his hands together. "Wonderful! I'll see you there, then?"

At the sound of his laugh, I almost stopped in my tracks. I know it sounds cliche, but his laugh sounded like sunshine and flowers and Christmas bells. It was beautiful, one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard.

"S-sure," I mumbled, pulling my hat over my face in an attempt to hide my giant blush. "Cool."

"See you later!" he called as I walked out of the door, closing it behind me. 

When I arrived back in the waiting room, I saw Roman and Logan outside in the waiting room, discussing something. I waved and they grinned at me. 

"Salutations, Remy," Logan greeted me. I nodded and turned to Roman, smirking. His eyes lit up with the sparkles of a best friend. 

"Ohmygoodness you have a CRUSH, don't you?!" he cried happily, and I instantly covered his mouth with my hand. I shushed him, glaring.

"Gurl, shut the hell up! We talked and played old maid for most of the time. Nothing happened, dear," I promised. "Nothing. Happened."

Roman sighed and leaned back in his chair, groaning. "Aaaugh, you're no fuuuuun. Just ask him out already if you like him and want to try something out."

I mumbled an insult. "I kinda... did," I mentioned. Roman sat straight up again. "So I'm meeting up with him for coffee, but when he asked me if I was asking him out, I panicked and told him no. But we're still going, so..."

Logan pushed his glasses further up his face. "I am not the best at navigating romantic relationships, but even I can tell that is the wrong course of action."

I let out a groan. "I know, I should've told him... I was just a coward..."

Roman patted me on the shoulder. "It's better than me. Remember what I did when Virgil first asked me out?"

I glanced at him. "You thanked him, didn't you?"

He collapsed back on the seat. "...I thanked him," he muttered. 

"Well, you're dating now," I reminded him. "Better dating your crush than not."

Logan glanced away and I smirked. "Like you, Lolo. You need to man up and ask my bro out, he's pining for you and is too shy to make the first move."

The raven-haired man blushed. "W-what? Ridiculous! I-I--"

Roman stuck out his tongue. "Aw, does widdle Lolo have a crush?"

"I just--"

"You'd be so cute together!"

"H-hey! Don't-- aargh!"

"Don't forget, Rem, you need to ask Dr. Picani out too."

"I kind of already did, is ya'll's memories faulty?"

"Yes, I know you did, but it's not... official!"

"Let's just go..."

"Agreed."

"Sure."


	4. A Phone Call

Emile was sitting at home, cuddled in his blanket. He was 'napping', a code word for 'freaking out over a social interaction that happened hours ago'.

Yes, he was still thinking about Remy Queen.

"Mmmmhh," he groaned, flipping onto his side with an apathetic expression. "I was such an idiot..."

He sat up again, pinpricks of embarrassed tears in his eyes. He wiped them away angrily and sat up, yawning slightly. "I just need to eat something. I did not mess it up--"

What if I did? What if he thinks I'm a freak? I do talk pretty quickly. Did he not understand anything I was saying? Was I not helpful? What if he--

Emile sighed, burying his face in his pillow and groaning. "Aaaargh..." he mumbled. "Hnn... I should just drink something hot. I'll feel better."

He wrapped his blanket closer around himself and slipped off his bed, opening his door with a creak and walking out into his hallway. He almost bumped into his roommate, Janus Spice, but caught himself in time. 

"Oh, hey Jan," Emile greeted him.

Janus had long black hair with several yellow streaks running through it, a horrible burn scar on the side of his face, and dark inky black eyes. He was holding a scarlet porcelain mug with his coffee inside. Jan liked his coffee dark and black, so there was no cream or sugar added to the hot drink. He mumbled a 'Hello' and shuffled off to drink his coffee. 

Emile tripped over a chair on his way to the coffee machine. Jan glanced up at his roommate with apparent amusement. "You alright, Em? You're not usually this clumsy."

"Y-yeah," he stuttered. "I'm fine..."

Jan leaned in close, tapping his chin. "You know, you look like a liar. Did something happen at counseling?"

Emile flushed light red. "Nooo! I'm fine!"

"Why are you blushing then? Have a crush on me?" he purred, swooping off to the kitchen table. Emile shrieked.

"No, no! It's someone else--" he stopped. 

Did he have a crush on Remy? Yeah, he was hot and yeah, they had gotten to know each other a bit for the four hours during the therapy appointment and, well, they were going out to get coffee in five days but--

But what?

Jan smirked. "Someone else, hm? Someone you're counseling?" Emile flushed a brighter shade of red and bent further over the coffee machine. Jan crossed his arms. "I hit the nail on the head, huh?"

Emile nodded shyly. "Yeah... I think so anyway... he's cute..."

"A new patient?" Jan asked. Emile nodded again and hit the latte button on the coffee machine. 

"Mhm. I don't know if he likes me, though. I do know that he's gay. Also, we're meeting up for coffee on Sunday at nine."

Jan's smile widened. "Oooh, darling Emile has a crush~" he teased, leaning in close and bopping Emile's nose with his gloved finger. "How cute! So, who is it?"

Emile got a mug out from the cabinet and set it under the coffee machine. "Okay, his name is Remy Queen. I met him for the first time today. He's really cute and a massive flirt."

Janus knew pretty much everyone in the city, so it was no surprise when his eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh yeah, Roman's boyfriend's brother's crush's brother!"

(A/N: Roman's boyfriend is Virgil, Virgil's brother is Logan, Logan's crush is Patton, and Patton's brother is Remy)

Emile blinked. "Oh... I didn't know that..."

"Yeah, there's a lot you don't know," Jan teased. Emile growled and swatted at him with an empty creamer. 

"I think you forget who counselors you for free," Emile reminded him and Jan smirked. "Hey Jan, how do you know Roman anyway?"

Much to Emile's surprise, Jan turned a bright shade of pink, started mumbling something about Roman's brother Remus and quickly hurried off to his room. 

Emile yawned again and took a sip of his coffee. As he did, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw a number he didn't recognize.

513-230-9734(A/N: btw, I don't actually know this number. Please don't call it.)

He clicked accept on the phone call and lifted the phone to his ear. 

"Hello?"

"Hello, darlin."

Remy's voice came from the phone, making Emile almost drop the device in his latte. He managed not to, though, and settled for choking on his drink. 

"R-Remy?"

"In the flesh. Or rather, in the voice, hm?"

"I- I guess so."

"So."

"Yup." Emile swallowed another gulp of his coffee. "How did you get my number in the first place?"

Even if he couldn't see him, Emile could sense Remy's smirk. "Roman knows people who know your phone number."

"Aaah," Emile rolled his eyes. "Well."

"So, dear, I just wanted to try the phone number out. I do see it's you though, so I guess there's no need anymo--"

"No, no, I'd like to talk to you." 

"Ohhh~?" Remy teasingly said. "Cute."

Emile yelped. "No!"

The door creaked back open and Jan walked back in, composed again. He saw what was going on and smirked. "Is that Remy Queen? Ooh, spicy~."

Emile shook his head quietly and tried to shush Jan, but Remy had already heard. 

"Who is that?" he asked sharply. 

Emile sighed. "Yeah, that's my roommate Janus Spice. He has a crush on a different person so--"

So what?! No worries?! That would imply--

No, no, no. That is not-- that can't-- why would Remy like someone like me?

"So yeah he's... gay..." Emile finished slowly. 

It's a bit apparent that Remy relaxed a bit at the news that Jan's not interested, but Emile shook it off as a fantasy his brain made. 

"Oh, okay. You have a roommate? I didn't know that."

"Yup."

"You Gucci, Emi dear? You sound a bit... shaky."

"Oh-- no-- I'm, I'm alright."

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"That's good. I want you to be alright, hm?"

"Oh-- thanks."

"Anytime you need assurance. We still on for Sunday?"

"Yup. It sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It does."

Emile smiled at hearing Remy's voice. A notification buzzed on his phone and he took it off his ear to look at it. 

Help/make Jan eat dinner.

Janus had a problem with eating. Just the very thought of eating made him nauseous, but drinking things like water or juice was fine. He had a strange case of anorexia, and he had been trying to handle it on his own for years.

Which ultimately failed. Jan had landed in the hospital for malnourishment and afterward, the dorm people had put him with Emile, the apartment building counselor. He had been getting better, but usually forgot to eat meals most of the time. 

"Hey, gotta go."

"Aw, alright dear. See you later, hm?"

"Y-yeah. Sounds nice."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Emile clicked the end call button and sat down on his chair. "Janus, get in here! You are going to eat dinner so help me god!"

Jan groaned and slouched into the kitchen. "But I drank juice and coffee today!"

"Exactly," Emile told him. "It means you need more calories."

"...fine."

"Thank you."


	5. Fall Mornings

I rolled over in my bed, blinking sleepily at the morning rays shining through the window. I yawned and stretched languidly. I had stayed up way too late last night.

My bedroom was large, with orange walls and circular windows with brown curtains. There were two side tables and a storage cubby built into the wall, where I usually kept my coffee cup and sunglasses. I had a big bed with several large pillows and a weighted blanket I got as a birthday present I got from my brother, Patton. 

Unwrapping the heavy blanket off me, I scooted off my bed and landed on the shag carpet on my floor with a soft thud. 

I glanced at my clock. 6: 34. I smiled in satisfaction and opened my closet door, scanning my choices for the day. 

I slipped into a mousy grey hoodie with cream accents and a pair of black leggings. Grabbing my signature sunglasses and putting them on, I scooped up my cup and walked out of my bedroom in time to watch the sunrise. 

Patton was sitting in his seat, a chair made from woven tree branches, and sipping a cup of some sort of tea. I grimaced. I don't like tea, I much prefer coffee. It has more caffeine and I need it to get through the day. 

"Hey Pat," I greet him as I rifle around for the toaster in our appliance cabinet. He gives me a nod. He was never really a morning person, so it isn't rude. 

While my toast is being made, I flopped into the seat beside him and gazed out the window at the sunrise. It's very pretty, the clouds are dyed a nice shade of pink and orange that goes with the purple sky. 

Patton took another sip of his tea and turned to me. "Hey, kiddo."

I smiled at him. "Mm? And Pat, please dear, I'm a few months older than you. You don't exactly get to call me 'kiddo'. Mkay?"

"Sorry, Remy," he said. "Anyway, I heard through the grapevine--"

I groaned. "Roman told you something, huh?"

"Anyway, I heard from Roman, yes, that you have an eensy-weensy crush!" Patton's face lit up as he knocked over his cup. I yelped and grabbed the nearest towel as I mopped up the spilled drink. I smelled the fragrance and realized it's chamomile. 

I smirked. Time to turn the tables on my younger brother. "Aw, you're drinking Logan's favorite tea?"

Patton flushed bright red from embarrassment and ran to the counter to grab another towel to help me. I stuck out my tongue playfully and he shoved me into the table. 

I held my injured shoulder dramatically and whined loudly. "Oh, how I have been hurt! The pain, the betrayal..."

"Oh come on, I didn't push you that badly," Patton said, crossing his arms. "You and I both know it."

I rolled my eyes and stood up, pushing my chair back. "Whatever, whatever. You can stay here and ignore my mortal wound, I'm going to go and get myself some coffee."

Patton smirked. "The first of many, huh? Bye, kiddo. See you later."

"Bye Pat." I stepped out of the kitchen and pulled on my boots, tied the laces and walked out of the house.

The air was crisp and chilly, a slight breeze blew my hair in my face as I began to walk down the sidewalk. I glanced around at the other houses, all of which were quiet. Understandable, considering the time, I thought to myself. 

I blew out a breath and watched with satisfaction as it turned into a puff of white air. I loved it when that kind of thing happened. Fall was my favorite season, it was crisp and cool and gave me an excuse to wear his hoodies and jackets. Also, it meant caramel and pumpkin everything.

I usually walked to the local coffee shop around this time, during sunrise was one of the only times the shop wasn't filled with college students other than myself. I took a detour leading into downtown. The coffee shop was my second favorite place to be, first being at home, in my room, alone.

I ducked inside and waved hello to my friend Virgil Storm, the barista of the place. Stepping up to the counter, I placed a five-dollar bill down on the counter and smiled. "Can I get the--"

"The pumpkin spice latte with extra whipped cream, two expresso shots and a drizzle of milk chocolate?"

"Uh--"

"Oh sorry, I forgot the cinnamon on top," Virgil teased, smirking. "I've worked here for five years and have known you for longer. I know your favorite fall drinks. And your favorite spring drinks-- a white chocolate mocha with two expresso shots and extra milk. Winter drink-- mint chocolate latte with whipped cream and a sugared violet. Shall I go on?"

I scowled at Virgil. "Smartass." 

Virgil raised his eyebrows. "Can this smartass keep the change?"

I let myself glance at the money, then dragged my eyes back to Virgil. "Sure, I don't care. You can keep it."

"Oh, believe me, I will," Virgil told me, his eyes following mine and passing over the money. "I get paid much too little here."

I laughed. "Yeah. Well, always here to help."

I glanced around before settling on a table in the far corner. It was close to the back end of the room, where I liked to sit. My anxiety wouldn't let me sit in the middle of a room or with my back facing the room. If I did, my 'They're All Looking At Me' instincts, or so I called them, would flare up.

"Just put it under the name 'R', alright?"

"Mhmm," Virgil mumbled, already scribbling on a cup with the red sharpie he kept in the pocket of his uniform. I smiled and walked to my seat, sitting down and gazing out at the coffee shop.

It had dark brown walls and glossy wooden tables scattered around. Numerous coffee stains were on each table, along with some sugar packet wrappers and plastic spoons. The sun was shining in from the large windows, so the shop didn't even need interior lighting, the sun did it for them.

I yawned and leaned back in the chair, stretching. Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through some notifications and posts.

The sun rose further in the sky as the early morning fog set in. Windows brightened, curtains were drawn, and people began to fill the streets. More cars drove by. I watched two women drag four children and a stroller past the window. The city was waking up before my eyes.

This was my favorite time of day, where I could be alone in the coffee shop, with no-one to bother me. I came here a lot, so I could feel like the first one to wake up in the entire city. I was sure I wasn't, but it was a good feeling nonetheless. 

Soon, my coffee was ready.

"Latte for the smartass in the corner," Virgil called.

I sighed and stood up, rolling my eyes. I walked to the counter to take my latte and raised my eyebrows at Virgil. "Don't call me that again," I said, swiping my coffee and tromping dramatically off to my table. 

The bell above the door rang just as I sat down. Glancing up, I saw a man with pasty white skin and dyed blue hair walk in. He glanced around the room and I froze midway to taking another gulp of my coffee. I slowly set my coffee down, not believing what I was seeing. 

Not wanting to believe it. 

It was Andy. He was-- he-- he came here?

I was stuck to my seat. Frozen. Surely he wouldn't try anything while in public, right? I mean, Virgil was here and everything.

But he had tried shit in public before. That was nothing new. I just had to hope he wouldn't notice me. 

Please, please don't notice me.

He yawned. "A black coffee. No sugar. Three creams."

"Uhh... okay," Virgil slowly replied. He wrote it down on a cup and glanced back up again. "Er, name?"

The man blinked sleepily. "Andy Mae. Just put down Andy."

Yup. Suspicions confirmed.

This looks bad.


	6. Oh, Shit

Virgil's POV:

TW: Blood, abuse, yelling, suicide mentions

This is based off of my own experiences, I do not mean to offend anyone.

(Yes, I have coughed up blood before. That was, I think, maybe the sixth time out of eleven I've gone/nearly had to go to the Emergency Room.)

I watched the man walk into the cafe and stop at the counter. He made direct eye contact with me and I squinted. He seemed familiar. Couldn't tell from where, though.

He ordered his coffee all while staring blankly off into space. Not one smile, not even a hint of emotions. 

So strange.

I grabbed a cup from the nearby rack and pulled the red marker out of my pocket. I was about to write it down and I looked back up. "Er, name?"

He glared down at me, blinking slowly. Everything about this man screamed 'run' to me. The way he stood, the way he looked at me, even how he spoke. Everything felt like pinpricks and needles.

"Andy Mae. Just put down Andy."

Everything snapped into place. This man was Remy's old boyfriend. I had heard all about him from Remy, and I knew enough to not want him here. But this was my job, I couldn't do anything.

I shot a glance at Remy and I saw him staring straight at Andy. I swallowed a lump in my throat and nodded. "S-sure. Just sit down by that window, and I'll have your coffee done in a bit, okay?" 

He snorted and walked off as I quickly scribbled down his order and name on his cup. I took a deep breath. If there was one thing I knew how to do here, it was how to deal with customers like Andy. 

Just ignore it, and try to make it not noticeable. I began to make Andy's coffee. He hadn't specified which brew of black coffee he wanted, but I supposed he liked it dark, so I pulled out the darkest brew we had. 

Hey, I'll still aim for customer satisfaction even if the customer was an asshole. I've dealt with homophobes before. That one girl who was transphobic? I didn't bat an eyelash and according to her, served her the best cup of coffee she'd had in a while. 

But this guy's order was something else.

Who drinks coffee without sugar? Just cream in black coffee? Was this guy insane?

I guess I said one or more of those things out loud because it looked like Remy heard me. He let slip a short, quiet laugh that was quickly stifled with his hand. He grinned at me and I gave him a wink. 

Andy apparently thought I was the one who laughed at him. He glared at me with hatred burning in his eyes and I coiled back, not wanting to risk getting on this man's bad side. He was so much taller than I was, and looked very strong. 

I finished his coffee and called him over. "Black coffee for Andy?"

He grunted and walked to the counter, picked up the coffee, and was about to walk back to his seat when he spotted Remy. 

I cursed in my head. 

Andy walked, slow and purposefully, over to Remy's table. Remy sat frozen in his seat, hands clenched tightly around his coffee. 

Andy smirked. "Well hello there, Remy." His tone was blunt and sharp all at the same time. 

Pinpricks and needles. I was walking on pinpricks and needles. 

You see, Remy had told me about Andy before. Believe me, they were not a good story. Andy had been quite violent and was known for his ruthlessness all around the back alleys. He didn't care if we were in public. And to add to that, the city was still mostly asleep. Almost no-one was up yet. 

There was nobody to see anything. 

My anxiety started to clench at me when Andy's hand moved subtly towards Remy's arm.

My breathing quickened, my eyes went wide, and that terrible black feeling started to spread through my body. 

Oh shit oh shit oh shit--

In one fluid motion, Andy grabbed Remy's arm, dug his nails into the exposed flesh, and flipped Remy off the chair. He landed with a crash and a pained yelp, his arm twisted at a very awkward angle. 

I let out a high-pitched keening noise and jumped over the counter. 

My eyes took in everything about Andy. I had been involved with the back alleys when I was younger. I knew my way around a fight. But I was also out of practice, and was not very strong. Andy, on the other hand, was strong and muscly and tall and most certainly not out of practice. 

I glanced around him, seeing what Andy could throw. 

A salt shaker, two mugs, the broom... 

His body posture.

Slightly tense, but fluid and alert. Eyes trained on Remy, but flicking back and forth to me as well. 

I placed myself between the two males, looking directly up into Andy's eyes. They were narrowed, no doubt scanning everything about me as well. 

"Who's this, Remy?" he questioned, jabbing a finger at me. His face was still twisted into an ugly smirk. "Your side bitch?"

I hissed at him, a growling sound coming from deep in my throat. He looked put-off by my behavior, and I decided it was time to run. There was no way I could win against a man of this size, and neither could Remy. 

Plus, if we stayed around, Andy would most definitely try to hurt us. Probably in more ways than one. 

Andy continued to talk. "Hey, I heard what you did after you left me." His voice grew slightly higher and more hysterical. 

My eyes grew wider. I froze. No way was he--

"You tried to kill yourself, huh?"

Remy curled his hands into fists, his longish hair draped over his face. Even if I couldn't see his eyes, I knew he was beginning to cry. A large splinter of wood pierced deep into his shoulder, leaking thin streams of blood. 

"Couldn't live without me?"

I could see the words cutting deeper than the splinter. His shoulders began to shake, and his mouth opened and closed several times. I placed a protective hand on his shoulder. 

"Then why'd you--" his hand whirled out to grab one of the mugs as he spoke. "-- why'd you break up with me?!"

He hurled the mug at us. 

I screamed, throwing my hands up toward my face as it hit me squarely in the chest and shattered, sending dust and sharp pieces of ceramic at us. 

One sliced through my cheek and another cut through my pocket. I saw some cutting Remy as well, slicing straight through his jacket and piercing his skin. 

We were both functioning on pure adrenaline now.

Coughing, I ducked for cover and rolled under a table, Remy following suit close behind me. I panted for breath, my mind whirling. 

No way were we going to make it to the door now. But we had to do something. Already, Andy was reaching for something else. 

I fumbled for my phone, ducking under the table again and dialing Roman's number. 

The phone rang several times before he picked up. "Yes, babe--"

I was about to answer when Andy threw the salt shaker at us. It missed my head by an inch and went flying into Remy's chest. 

A snap could be heard echoing through the coffee shop. 

Time seemed to stand still.

And then life restarted when Remy collapsed, coughing up blood that trickled out of his mouth and landed on the tiled floor in spatters. I screamed again, covering my head and dropping my phone as Remy whimpered quietly. 

Roman cursed. "Babe?! Are you alright?! Oh my god, I'm coming over now."

He hung up. I started to cry, salty tears mixing with blood and dripping off my chin. 

Andy was unfazed by what he had done. "Weak. Weak little bitch." He spat at Remy, who was still lying on the ground mumbling faintly through the pain. I crawled toward Remy, and placed my hands on where I thought the injury was. 

As soon as I touched the skin, Remy screamed and pushed me away, crying. 

I gasped for air through my tears and yelled for help, but nobody was awake. Nobody was coming through the door. 

I just had to hope Roman would get here in time. 

Oh, shit.


	7. Relief?

Roman's POV:

I quickly pulled on my grey jacket and dialed Logan's number. Virgil had just ended the phone call with me after a scream and a thud. 

This was bad. I had never heard Virge scream before. Sure, he cried sometimes, but never screamed. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!

Was everything alright? Was he okay? I cursed to myself and pressed call as I ran out of my front door and into the crisp autumn air. The coffee shop was that way, right?

I must look so weird, running through the street in the early morning. Oh well, I need to get to the shop. 

Come on, Logan, pick up your phone! Please don't be sleeping, please don't be--

Logan picked up after a few rings and answered with a puzzled tone. "Yes, Roman? Do you see the time? It is--"

"Logan! Oh, my god you need to get the fuck over to the coffee shop! Now! Virge and Remy are in trouble!" I sensed him nodding and sighed in relief. "Okay, get your ass over here. I'm already halfway there."

He hung up and I smiled grimly, stuffed my phone into my pocket and continued to run. 

I rounded the corner and there was the coffee shop. The lights were on and the curtains were drawn for some reason. Everything seemed normal. 

I drew closer and discovered that even if something looks normal, that doesn't mean it sounds normal. 

Screams and cries for help were echoing from the interior room. I cursed again and ran inside, curling my fists to see what was going on. 

Virgil was curled protectively over a limp Remy, who was lying in a growing puddle of thick, red blood. Andy was standing over the both of them, a large smirk on his face. 

I growled. "Hey!" I called. Andy whipped his head around to look at me. "Get your ass away from my boyfriend and my friend. What the fuck did you even do?!"

He snorted. "Whatcha gonna do? Punch me with those weak-ass arms of yours?"

I was about to answer when someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Allow me," said a cool voice, dripping with malice. "I've got this."

I turned to see a man looking up at me. He had long, ebony-black hair and a twisted burn scar on his eye. He was wearing ripped jeans, a black-and-yellow hoodie, and lots of metal bracelets. He was also much shorter than me, so I didn't know what he could do against... that.

On cue, Andy started taunting him. "Who're you?" Andy called. "Another weakling?"

The man smiled. He emanated a dangerous air-- something making me want to stay one hundred miles away from him at all times. "Oooh, just another... friend of Remy here." He slipped me a wink and padded toward Andy.

I could see Andy beginning to falter. This man was shorter than Virgil, yet he walked so confidently and with so much malice it put Andy off. "W-what the--" Andy had time to say before the man darted forward, tripping Andy with a leg sweep. 

Once the man's leg landed, he vaulted forward onto the counter behind Andy, grabbed a container filled with boiling hot coffee, and flung it at Andy. It drenched the taller man, who barely had time to yell in surprise. 

The stranger flipped forward and delivered a fast kick to Andy's chin. Andy cried out and fell backward, hitting his head on the table nearest to him. 

The man then landed on the floor, slipped on the coffee, and landed face first into a cooling puddle of the bitter liquid. 

He spat it out and groaned. "Oh, come on. This just ruined my image all over again."

Sparing a glance back at Andy, the man smiled in satisfaction. "Anyway, he's knocked out. Hello again Roman."

He looked up at me and I recognized Janus Spice. 

We were... 'friends'. A code word for 'people who know each other and somewhat enjoy each other's company but wouldn't choose to be around them most of the time'. I did use a nickname for him but still didn't know him that well. 

If I knew everyone in the streets, he knew everybody in the back alleys. Sighing, Jan shook out his now-wet sleeves. "I'll need to dry-clean this now..." he muttered. "Anyway, darling, I think that Remy there needs some medical attention."

Smirking, Jan motioned to the two huddled on the floor. Remy was still motionless while Virgil was staring, openmouthed, at Jan. I nodded and ran forward, careful not to step in the slippery mess. 

Gathering Remy in my arms, I walked out the door. Virgil grabbed his phone and dialed 9-1-1, who picked up after a couple of rings. He explained our situation to them and they told us an ambulance would be sent over promptly.

I glanced back at Janus and, to my great surprise, I saw him dragging Andy out of the store. "Hey Roman," he greeted me, smirking. 

I gaped. "What-- what the--"

Jan rolled his eyes. "He could run away. We don't exactly want that."

I nodded silently and turned my attention back to the road. I had no idea how serious Remy's injuries were, so I just had to hope the ambulance would come in time. 

When the ambulance pulled up, I saw Logan running toward us, dragging Patton behind him as they walked. When Patton saw Remy, he broke into a run.

They reached us just as the people were loading Remy into the car. Patton started to sob. "Oh my god, is he okay?! Are you all okay?!" His voice was frantic. 

Logan placed a hand on Patton's shoulder. "It will be alright, Patton. And Virgil seems, if not fine, at least not in need of urgent medical care. You may travel with Remy while I take these three--" he motioned to me, Virgil, and Jan-- "back to my house and check them for injuries."

"But what if-- what if-- what's gonna happen, Logan?! What's gonna happen?!" Patton grabbed Logan's hands and leaned in close. "What-- what's going to happen?!"

Sighing gently, Logan answered in a softer voice. "The medics are going to take good care of Remy at the hospital. It will be alright. Do not fret." 

The police came and grabbed Andy, shoving his unconscious body into their back seat. 

I smiled at Patton and placed my hand over his. "Yeah, it'll be alright. Virge, babe, c' mere. Hug time."

Virgil shakily embraced me. I placed a kiss to his head and smiled softly. 

"Oh, yeah, ignore the one who did the work," Janus sarcastically muttered. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Logan raised an eyebrow. "Ah yes, why are you all... wet?"

Jan hissed at him. 

I watched Patton run into the ambulance to ride to the hospital, and Logan slowly patted me on the back. "Come. It is time to go. We cannot do anything else right now except wait."

I nodded and followed him back to his house, where I would no doubt get questioned about the type of injuries I was sporting, or if I was injured at all. 

Virgil grabbed Jan's hands fiercely and pulled him behind us, as the city finally woke up.


	8. Waiting Rooms

Emile's POV:

I was sitting in my room, listening to my favorite songs through a pair of glittery headphones when my phone buzzed with a notification. 

Now, I loved my songs, so I was reluctant to put my headphones down even if it was to check my phone. But it might be something I needed to look at, so I took them off and set them down on the table. 

I had woken up earlier than usual today thanks to Janus rushing out of the door, claiming he saw something urgent on the sidewalk below. 

Since I'm not very attentive in the early morning, I had just brushed it off as usual anxious Jan and decided to go back to sleep. Once he had thought a raven was a ghost and screamed in the middle of the night.

Having woken up myself a few minutes later, I had grudgingly gotten out of bed and padded to the kitchen to get something to eat. And there I was now, picking up my phone to check the buzzing that had so rudely interrupted my music.

Rolling my eyes, I opened my phone and looked at the text. Maybe it was something important.

From: Jan Spice. 

Emile. Get to Clarke Hospital quickly.

Floor 2, Section 5, one left and then two rights, Room 314. Hurry.

I hissed and pulled a mint green sweater over my head, slipped into my pair of sneakers and ran out the door, grabbing a spare apple from the fruit basket as I went. 

Glancing around, I spotted the nearest bus stop and ran to it, praying that the bus would come quickly. The seat was wet, so instead of sitting on it, I sat on the curb and checked my phone every five seconds to see if there were any more texts.

I barely waited ten minutes before it pulled up. I jumped on it and paid the driver, then sat down in the seat and put my head into my hands, groaning softly.

Just what have you done this time, Jan? What happened? Are you alright?

I arrived at the room, panting like a dog after running through the various hallways in a half-conscious panic. I lifted my head and saw a group of people gathered around a doctor in a white suit and a face mask. She was trying to calm everyone down, but two people, in particular, were really harried. 

I squinted, having forgotten my contacts today, and saw Jan in the cloud of people. I exhaled in relief. 

But if it wasn't Jan who was hurt, then who was it?

The people turned as I walked closer and I recognized Virgil and Roman from their frequent visits to the therapy department. I knew Roman personally too, because who in the town didn't, and sometimes chatted with Virgil. There were only two I didn't know, a tall one and a shorter one. 

But right now Virgil was crying like the world was going to end, squeezing Roman's hand tightly and sniffling. The shorter boy, with curly sandy-brown hair and round glasses, was also sobbing. The boy next to him, the tall one with square glasses and black hair, was trying to comfort him. 

I reached the crowd. "...hello, Jan, Ro, Virge," I greeted the three I knew. They answered in varying levels of awareness, with Virgil barely raising his arm to wave. "What's going on here?"

Roman motioned to the group of people. "Let's go to the waiting room. We've done all we can, and I think I should introduce you."

The tall one nodded and hugged the one with round glasses, gave his hand a little squeeze, and directed him to the nearest waiting room. 

We all sat down and Jan began the introductions. "This here is Logan Storm," he said first, waving to the tall one with square glasses. "He's Virgil's brother."

"This," he said next, "Is Patton Queen."

My eyes widened. "Patton Queen?"

Janus smiled grimly. "Yes. Remy's brother."

A feeling of dread started to grow in the pit of my stomach. "Wait. If his brother is here then where... where is Remy? Is he just... not coming here?" My eyes darted around the waiting room. "Janus, what the hell is going on?"

Roman stood up. "Well... it's kind of hard to explain. Well, I mean, it's not, but it's just... you know, hard to talk about."

I felt the dread gnaw at me, twisting my lungs and drowning me in its darkness. 

"Come on, darling," Jan told me. "I think you should know something."

...what?

\---

I was in tears when by the time they finished explaining. "Oh... my god," I finally mumbled. "A cracked rib? Damaged lung tissue?"

"And internal bleeding, as well as the fact that his pulse and blood pressure are both off the charts," Logan finished with a grim look. "It doesn't look good, I'm afraid."

The first tear spilled from the corner of my eye and I wiped it away stubbornly. "How? What..." I couldn't believe it. Was Remy's ex really that, well, that violent? And that strong?

During the story, Patton had crumbled into a sobbing mess again, with Logan gently stroking his brown-blonde curls. "I know," Roman muttered. "I just wish I had gotten there in time..."

Virgil shook his head. "No, it's my fault for not calling you sooner. It's just... my..." he sniffled. A sad expression crossed Roman's face, and he tilted Virgil's head upwards. 

"It's not your fault babe, it's Andy, you know that," he murmured. Virgil offered him a shaky smile and sighed, his hands curled into trembling fists. 

I just shook my head. "What the hell..."

The door to the waiting room was opened gently, and the doctor stepped inside. She was the same one that had been at the door when I first arrived. I greeted her quietly, noticing she had changed into a colorful jacket and had removed her face mask.

She smiled blandly. "Hello. My name is Rainbow Marsh, but you can call me Dr. Marsh. I am Mr. Queen's personal doctor, and as such will be overseeing his surgeries and chart readings. Over the past hour, Mr. Queen has stabilized and is heading into surgery."

She cleared her throat and continued. "There will be several procedures done over the course of the next three days. We are hopeful, since the cracked rib is not too severe."

I glanced back. "And everything else?" I didn't trust my voice. Despite only talking to him several times, I cared deeply about Remy. He was nice to me and I genuinely enjoyed his company. 

Dr. Marsh nodded. "The internal bleeding has paused and he is under treatment for the damaged lung. He will, unfortunately, have difficulties running from now on."

Patton spoke up. "He'll be relieved, he hates to run." A nervous giggle escaped his lips. "Yeah... it was always his least favorite exercise."

Logan took him by the hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to calm him. "It will be okay Patton," he reminded the brunette. "It will be alright."

I took several deep breaths to calm myself. "Well... alright... if he's stable, doesn't that mean we can see him now?"

Dr. Marsh smiled at me. She nodded again. "Yes, but only a few people at a time. He might wake up and be startled. We don't want his blood pressure or his heart rate to spike at all."

I gave her a weak grin. "Of course, Doctor. Thank you." She left the room and I turned back to the group. "Alright, I think that Patton, Virgil, and Roman should see him first."

Several objections later, it was Patton, Virgil and me who went instead. I stopped in front of the dark grey door and turned to the three.

"Are you ready to..." I trailed off. There was no need to finish the sentence. 

Virgil swallowed blandly. "I think so. Patton?"

Patton nodded. "Yeah. We can... we can go."

I opened the door and let the other two inside before I, myself, stepped in the dark and empty room and flipped on the lights.


	9. Flashing Buttons

Patton's POV:

Emile opened the door for me and Virgil to step inside the room. Virgil looked at me sideways and gave me a nervous grin, then grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

The first thing I noticed after Emile flicked on the lights was how many tubes there were. Dozens were crisscrossing on the bedspread and tables, making it hard to move across the room. The bed had lots of buttons on it, each with their own symbols on them that I think were probably were important or something.

Remy was curled up in the bed, under a thin grey blanket. A ventilator was covering his mouth, and I heard a loud shh-shaah each time Remy breathed in or out. Several other cords were inserted into his arms, and a black strip was placed around his wrist, no doubt measuring his heart rate.

His vitals were being displayed on several screens above the bed, and for a few paralyzing seconds, the world froze. The fact was, those were my own brother's vitals on the screen up there.

The fact was, that was my brother laying there on that bed, being plugged with cords and breathing into a ventilator.

The world started up again with another shh-shaah and I rushed to Remy's side, already feeling tears begin to leak out of my eyes and down my cheeks. Virgil was quick to follow, sliding his warm hand into mine.

Emile placed his hand on my back and leaned into my shoulder, and I felt a few wet tears slip down his cheeks and land on my shoulder. Virgil led us to the few chairs and sat down, motioning for us to do the same thing.

The chairs were itchy and the room was cold. I didn't like it here. Everything was wrong. I was supposed to be at my house, making breakfast for me and Remy, not here watching fluids get pumped into my brother.

I bit my lip. "Is-- is that really Remy?" I asked, my voice shaking and breathy. Emile smiled grimly and Virgil gave my hand a little squeeze.

"Yes," Emile answered. I glanced up at him. I had only known him for a little amount of time, but I felt a connection to him. We had bonded over grief in the short time we had known each other. I had talked to him for a little bit in the waiting room, and he did seem very nice. 

I think I remember reading an article about the fact that bonding during grief was good for connections? I guess we're gonna be friends now?

Virgil gave me a little push and I glanced over at him, realizing now what he wanted me to do. I swallowed an objection and stood up shakily. I walked to Remy and leaned over his bedside.

"R-Remy?" I murmured, hearing myself stammering. Maybe he can hear me. Even if he's asleep, maybe... "Don't worry... you'll be fine... you'll be--" My throat seemed to close off, leaving me without air.

I choked up, feeling tears press at the edges of my eyes. "You'll be--"

Emile sighed and stepped forward, rubbing his hand on my back. "Do you want to talk about anything?" he whispered. "Will you be alright?"

I smiled gratefully at him. "I think I'll be okay, but thanks a lot."

He slipped me a sad grin and sat back in his seat. "I find it's always helpful to talk about sad things, so if you need it or change your mind, I'll be here."

Virgil was silent for a bit before speaking up. "W-will Remy be okay? Will he?" His voice was clogged with despair and sadness. "Please say he'll be okay..."

He closed his mouth but opened it again a few seconds later. I don't know what he was going to say, though, because right before he was going to speak, a red light went off and started beeping loudly.

Virgil yelped and stood up. I could see his eyes widening in panic.

I would have helped him, but I knew I was probably panicking as well. Emile shushed us and ran out of the door to get Dr. Marsh.

He walked back in with her. She silently surveyed the scene, then leaned over the sleeping Remy and turned the alarm off. "His blood sugar is a little off, that's all. Completely normal for it to spike a bit during this time of day, especially for males."

I breathed a sigh of relief and clasped my hands together. "Oh, thank god."

"Would you like to step outside to give him a little quiet while the doctors do a checkup?" she asked us. We nodded and walked out of the room to meet the others, who were all huddled together.

The air around them was different, it was still tinted with anxiety but now everyone seemed to have been able to talk about something else. That was good. I don't like to linger on negative emotions, even if it's for the greater good or whatever.

Roman lifted his head. "Oh, you're back! How is Remy?"

We exchanged glances. Virgil was the first to talk. "He's covered in tubes and fabric. But he seems to be doing fine."

Logan smiled. "That's a relief."

Roman glanced at all of the group. "Hey, since it's about lunchtime now..."

"Wait, it is?" Virgil looked shocked. "What-- last time I checked the time, it was like seven in the morning..."

Roman rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, it takes a bit for people to set up tubes and stuff, babe. You should know that."

Virgil swatted Roman. I giggled, slipping Logan an amused glance before sighing dramatically and falling backward into the seat. "I think we should go get lunch," I said. "I'd really like a break from... this."

Emile nodded. "I second that. It's always good to take a break when you need it."

Logan blew out a breath. "I suppose I will be the one paying for the Chinese takeout."

Roman looked offended. "I was the one going to suggest lunch, but was rudely interrupted by Patton here, who now gets all the credit. And who says it's Chinese?!"

Logan gave him a slightly amused glare. "Me, since I'm paying."

Janus scuffed his foot. "It's just as well. The coffee in this place sucks. This shit tastes like the stuffing from second-rate stuffed animals or whatever."

The tension seemed to relax a bit. I felt myself smiling and yawned widely, still tired from the early-morning stress.


	10. Lunchtime

Janus's POV:

I was sitting in the itchy chairs, slowly peeling off bits of the styrofoam cup that I had drank coffee from, and waiting for the rest of the group to decide what to eat. I didn't really care, as long as it was something light. I wasn't hungry at all.

Patton came and sat next to me, blowing out a long breath. He leaned against the chair, then glanced at me and waved.

I smiled awkwardly at him, earning me a smile in return for some reason. I didn't normally have people just... smile at me. It was a new thing.

"So..." I started. "What do you think we're gonna eat?"

Patton shrugged. "I dunno. Roman wants that chicken place up the street, and Logan wants Chinese food."

We both look back up at the scene in front of us. Logan and Roman are arguing, while Virgil is sitting on a chair with his head cradled exasperatedly in his hands. Emile was laughing quietly to himself while trying to pat Virgil on the back at the same time.

I couldn't help but crack another smile at seeing that. They really were going at it. I was surprised nobody was yelling yet. "Whoosh," I said, mimicking an explosion with my hands and looking back at Patton. "They're blowing up."

Patton giggled. "Mm, sure are... hey, we never even asked you if you wanted to go to lunch with us! Do you wanna come, Janus?"

I considered it in my head. On the one hand, they did seem really nice. On the other, I didn't actually know them very well, and I usually hated talking to strangers. Usually. I mean, they weren't really strangers, even before all this happened. I had known Roman, and I talked to Virgil sometimes, but still, we weren't exactly friends.

On the third, they might try to get me to eat... something I definitely did not want to happen. No matter that I knew them a little, I didn't want to have to explain anything like that to them.

Only Emile, my family, my doctors, and I knew. And I would like it to stay that way.

I felt a squeezing sensation on my stomach and lungs. My anxiety rising, I tried to remember what Emile had taught me for situations like this.

"Just breathe in and out, repeat eight times. In for four seconds, out for seven. Ready? In..."

I breathed in, trying to squash my anxiety beneath a pillow of calmness. Calmness. Was that a word? It sounds really silly when you say it more than once. Calmness, calmness, calmness...

"...Out."

I exhaled, counting the little seconds tick-tocking away in my head. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...

The exercise finished, I opened my eyes. "Sorry about that," I apologized to Patton, who looked a bit worried. "I sometimes get a bit anxious, you know."

Patton gasped. "Oh, my poor little anxious baby! Aw, c' mere!" He enveloped me in a tight hug, making me squeak slightly.

"P-Patton... let me go--" I choked out. "I can't really breathe..."

He let me go and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, sorry... but honestly, you alright kiddo? I'm here if you wanna talk!"

I shrugged. "I guess. I mean, I feel better now. But thanks." Tossing my hair behind my shoulder, I walked to the hot water machine to see if the hospital's hot cocoa was better than their coffee.

It wasn't. I ended up spitting the disgusting brown drink out into the nearby sink, then draining the rest into the trash can.

Once I finished, I began to pick at the cup, tearing off bits of styrofoam and bending them. I was about halfway through demolishing the cup when Roman walked up to me. "Hey Jani, time to go for lunch."

I smirked at him. "Something tells me you lost the argument."

He groaned. "Don't bring that up, please and thank you."

Virgil slipped his hand into Roman's, an act soon mirrored by Patton and Logan. I squinted at them as Patton happily smiled at Logan. "Are they... dating?" I asked the couple beside me curiously.

Roman wheezed. "No, no. Just... as both of them put it, 'crushing but there's no way he'll ever like me back'."

We began to walk to the elevator.

Virgil rolled his eyes. "In other words, mutually pining. It's annoying, but adorable. And I hear about whatever happens from both of them, so it's only the most recent news from me."

"Speaking of dating," Roman said. "Are you with my brother yet?"

I quickly felt my face heating up and coughed loudly to hide my blush. The cup, which was still in my hands, was swiftly crushed. "What the-- why would you even think--" My voice cracked a bit, making me curse at myself.

Virgil smirked. "Because this smartass here-- me, in other words-- walked in on the two of you making out a few weeks ago." He blew a kiss at me and waved his fingers teasingly as I glared at him.

I hissed. "Don't you dare ever bring that up in a public space ever again."

Roman melodramatically gasped, a smile growing on his face. "Ah, so we shall discuss this at a later date?"

"Not with you," I muttered. "You will tell everybody in town. I might just talk about it with Virgil here, but not ever with you."

Virgil laughed and high-fived me. "Yeah! Here we go! Gossip buddies!"

Roman clutched his chest and stumbled back. "How dare you wound me so," he cried. "How cruel!"

"Stop being dramatic and get your ass off the ground so we can eat," Virgil told him, rolling his eyes. "Now let's go."

We all somehow crowded into the elevator. It was a tight fit, with two other people, but we made it work.

One of the girls was weeping loudly into her hands. When she was asked what was wrong, she looked up at us through her long eyelashes.

Her friend sighed. "She has a sprained ankle or something. I keep telling you Dailia, It's really not that bad! We can get crutches, but stop being oh so melodramatic!"

The first girl stopped her crying and glared. "This is in no way a 'we' situation!" They soon reached their stop and walked out, arguing lightly.

The elevator doors closed, and we also came to our destination. All of us walked out and glanced around the lobby.

Hm. Time wait for lunch to arrive, I guess.

Yum?


	11. Survivor

Virgil's POV:

As soon as lunch started, I grabbed the box of noodles, hoarding it and hissing at anyone who tried to take them from me. Patton laughed. "Alright then Virge, keep your noodles. All I wanted were the cookies anyway."

Roman looked up incredulously from his plate. I almost laughed at his over the top expression. "Those things? The ones that taste like styrofoam and give you shit predictions?"

He had never liked fortune cookies, I remembered. Not ever since he got one that said 'a tragic accident shall befall you sometime soon in the future'. 

Two days later his pet goldfish died. Roman had found him, belly-up and a pale shade of green, in his tank. Roman had been so heartbroken he had made a funeral and forced all his friends to come. Keep in mind, he had been twelve at the time.

"They taste fine, Roman, and yes, those ones." Patton crossed his arms and frowned, looking down at the floor in apparent dissatisfaction. "Don't insult my cookies."

Roman laughed. "Fine, fine. Enjoy your shit styrofoam pieces of cardboard."

We were eating at the cafeteria, which was also filled with other people. People were laughing, talking, or just sitting alone with their head in their hands, slowly eating nachos, like several people were doing at the moment.

I mean, it was a hospital, of course there would be people in need of comfort food. I was kind of in need of comfort food myself, after everything that had happened. Luckily, noodles were my comfort food. 

After making his own plate, Logan gently tapped Patton on the shoulder. "Fortune cookies do not provide sufficient nutrients for a healthy meal. Eat something else as well," he reminded Patton. 

Groaning, Patton spooned several chicken pieces onto his plate. "Is this good enough now?" he asked. Logan nodded and picked up a fork from the nearby package.

"Yes Patton, that is adequate." He smiled at Patton, who unwrapped a fortune cookie and popped it in his mouth.

I tucked my dark hair behind an ear and, after putting some onto my plate, began to eat the noodles. Noodles, especially of the Chinese variety, had always been a food that had been my deepest friend during times of need. 

Roman started to edge his hand over to the box of noodles. I guess he thought he was being sneaky or something? When I saw his fingers brushing the spiral logo I slapped his hand, making him withdraw his hand in pain. "What was that for, babe?"

I glared at him. "You know exactly what that was for! Don't touch my noodles." Emile giggled and looked over at Jan, who was sitting without anything on his plate. I tilted my head. "Is something wrong, Jan? You aren't eating anything."

Jan blinked and shook his head. "Oh... no, no, I'm fine. I'll just get some water later, it's alright."

Emile reached over and patted Jan's hand. They exchanged a look and stood up, with Emile leading Jan to another table. They began to whisper.

I raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. Their business is their business, and I sure as hell wasn't gonna poke my head into anything I knew was off-limits.

After a bit, they came back over. Jan put some chicken on his plate and started to eat half-heartedly. He glanced over and seemed to think of something. "Hey, Patton," he called.

Patton looked over at him. "Yeah, kiddo?"

"Well, we've called pretty much everyone that Remy knew, right? Like, Logan and Emile and me." Jan took a sip of water.

"So?"

"So why haven't you called ya'll's parents yet?"

Patton rolled his eyes. "Oh, they're homophobes. And yeah, me and Remy are pretty gay. I haven't called them in years, I don't really miss them either. They actually helped me and Remy buy our house, but y' know, they just didn't want us in their home anymore."

"Ahh." Jan smiled. "Alright. Well then." He took another gulp of his ice water and fell silent, apparently deep in thought.

I scuffed the floor with my shoe. "Hey, Jan, speaking of parents. You've never really talked about yours before. Where..."

Emile sucked in a breath and waved his hands in a warning sign. I was confused, but stopped talking.

Soon, all the food was gone and everyone was finished eating. 

We went back upstairs to the waiting room-- taking the stairs this time-- and sat down in the seats, anxiously waiting for an update. There was what looked like another family on the other side of the waiting room, but they didn't look mean or anything, so I ignored them.

Everyone had been talking for a bit, even Jan, when Doctor Marsh walked into the room with a big smile on her face. Or at least, it looked like she was smiling. I couldn't really tell because of the white-grey mask obscuring her mouth and nose. 

Patton, always the friendly one, waved at her cheerfully. She waved back, then set down her clipboard and pencil and looked around at all of us. 

She pulled her mask down. Like I thought, she was smiling. "Okay, I'm happy to say that surgery number one was a success. He's awake now but still disoriented. You can visit four at a time, now, but don't crowd him anymore."

Everyone began clapping, even the people we didn't know. 

It was quickly decided that Patton, Roman, Logan, and I would go. Emile was the one who suggested this since he also said that he wanted to 'have a talk' with Jan. As he said that, his and Jan's eyes met. I saw Jan roll his eyes and sigh before nodding. 

Now, none of us knew what that meant, but we also didn't want to disturb them. As I said before, their business is their business. 

Dr. Marsh led us all into the room and turned on the lights. As all of us adjusted to the dimmer light, Remy sat up, rubbed his eyes, and flashed us a peace sign.

"Hey bitches, I survived."


	12. The Note

Remy's POV:

Patton let out a loud cry and ran forward, squeezing me tight. "Ohmygod are you OKAY, tell me exactly what happened, do you hurt anywhe--" 

I coughed, feeling quite strangled, and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm fine, Pat, but could you please let me go?" I asked, my voice scratchy. Patton let go immediately and stood back, sniffling again. 

Roman was speechless, eyes wide and unbelieving. Virgil, on the other hand, was frowning at me. He walked forward and looked at me seriously. 

I braced myself for a lecture-- Virgil had always been one to scold me when I was hurt-- but found myself enveloped in another tight hug. "I didn't know if you were going to be alright, oh dear fucking god...." 

I smiled. "Well, there are apparently still two more surgeries left to get through, so... but hey! Here I am!" I glanced around. "Is there anyone else other then ya'll?" 

Logan answered me. "Yes. Janus Spice-- perhaps you know him?-- he saved you and when we got here at the hospital, he also called over your therapist, Emile Picani." 

I sat straight up. "Wait-- what? So... I mean, I do know Jan a little, but-- wha--" 

Roman smirked, never one to miss an opportunity to harass me. "Yes, your little crush is here, Remy~"

Groaning, I covered my face with my pillow and rolled over. "Whyyy did you have to do that..." Roman leaned closer. I could sense his smirk and swatted him with my hand. "Oh shut up, you useless gay." 

Patton smiled. "I'm so glad you're alright, kiddo! I mean-- well-- you do feel alright, right?" His tone was slightly nervous. I nodded. 

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt that much anymore. That stuff they gave me is hella strong. Glad it is, though," I considered. "Otherwise I would still be hurting a bunch." 

Logan sat down and glanced at the doorway. "Would you like me to bring in the other two, Remy?" he asked. I tossed the idea around in my head a bit.

"...maybe later," I told him. He nodded and began to gaze out the window, apparently lost in thinking. A thought suddenly came to my mind. "Hey, what happened to Andy?" I asked. 

Patton glanced at Virgil. "Well, the last we heard, he was being held in custody for assault and verbal abuse." 

I whistled. Roman nodded. "Yeah. It doesn't look good for him." 

"It shouldn't," I added. "He doesn't deserve to be free anymore. I mean, my rib is cracked! From a salt shaker! Like, how does this shit even happen?!" 

Virgil shrugged. 

I sighed. "Hey Lo, can you get Jan and Emile here now? I'd like to talk to them too. I mean, Jan pretty much saved my ass, from what my you told me." 

Logan stood up. "Of course. I shall come back shortly." He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

Roman raised an eyebrow. "Whatcha gonna do? Hm? What are you going to say to Emile, hm?" 

I hissed at him. "Shut up." 

Patton giggled. "Anyways, soooo, you won't be happy to hear this, but we had takeout without you," he admitted. "It was yummy though." 

"Aww, Patton, why didn't ya'll save some for me?" I whined. "I'm hungry!" 

Janus walked into the room and smirked. "Well don't drink the coffee, that shit sucks. It's worse than the stuff at that coffee place downtown." 

Virgil turned around, frowning. "I hope you're not referring to the coffee shop I work at, are you?" 

"Nah, that other one on that street." Jan wrinkled his nose. "Disgusting." 

Emile smiled, coming up behind Jan. He caught sight of me and quickly stepped forward, leaning over the bed and looking happily at me. "Hello Remy, how are you doing? Are you feeling alright?" 

I fell backward at the sudden movement. "Um-- what?" I asked, pulling the covers over my face to hide my obvious blush. "What?" At my apparent confusion, Emile smiled nervously. Oh fucking god. Why was he so cute?! What the fuck?!

"Sorry, was I... um... was I confusing you?" He tucked some of his hair behind an ear and leaned back. "I was asking how you were." 

I opened and closed my mouth. "Yeah-- yeah, I'm fine." 

Roman snuck me a smile, making a little heart with his hands. Emile didn't see since he was turned away from Roman, so there was that. 

I picked up my pillow and threw it at Roman, who caught it, laughing. Growling, I pulled the blanket over my head and sank below the cozy nest, blushing. "Mmmph. Roman, you idiot." 

Patton smiled. "Aww, I think we should leave Remy alone for a bit, okay?" he prompted, taking Virgil and Logan's hands and tugging them quietly out the door. The rest(Including Emile) soon followed, and I was left alone with my thoughts and the little beeping from the buttons on my bed. 

Blowing out a breath, I emerge from my shell and look around. So this was where, according to Dr. Rainbow Marsh, I would be staying for the next three weeks until I was healed enough. 

It was a large room, a bit bigger than my bedroom. The ceiling and walls were smooth, and three triangular windows let in some light, though it was muffled by the drawn curtains. The floor was white tile on one half, and on the other, it was glossy wooden boards. There was a small table set up near my bed with a vase filled with flowers, as well as three chairs and a small couch. 

A sink was embedded in the wall by my feet, and a shower was right next to it. It was so strange and alien. It didn't feel like home at all, although that was to be expected. After all, it was a hospital, not a nursing home. 

At least I had a spot in the corner and not in the middle of the room. 

Sighing, I flopped back onto my bed when the door creaked open a little bit. I froze and saw a face peeking in at me through the crack. Small fingers slipped a card through the door and retreated. 

The door closed, leaving me with the paper. I leaned out of the bed with difficulty and grabbed the card, came back into my position, and opened it.

Get well soon, so we can still meet up at the cafe. -Emile


	13. Recovering

Emile's POV:

After waving goodbye to Roman and Virgil, I had walked back to my apartment and said hello to my neighbors. I slipped inside the apartment and made myself a sandwich to eat for dinner while I thought about my day. It had been a strange day.

Jan, on the other hand, had given me some suspicious excuse and gone off to a friend's house. I didn't know where he was going, but I just had to hope it wasn't some strange gang or something.

Sometimes he would get into fights and came home with injuries, but he never usually lost a fight for some reason. He was, apparently, pretty strong. He didn't just use the strength for fighting, though. I sometimes saw him carrying in large potted plants from stores or other apartments, as gardening was one of his many hobbies.

I took a bite of my sandwich and gazed out the window. The sun was beginning to set, and the city was shutting down. Lights in large buildings were going out, and houses were becoming silent.

When I had come back home, everything seemed much quieter than it had been when I first left. I guess that it was caused by intense sadness? Maybe feelings could push out sounds or something.

I felt done with people, so I went to where I always went to deal with my problems: the cubby in the hallway.

My apartment had a small alcove, or a cubby, in the hallway leading to my room. When me and Jan had first found it, we had quickly decided that we would share it. It was just big enough to fit a person, some blankets, and pillows. It was pretty lucky that we were both short-- a tall person probably wouldn't be able to fit.

It had become our second bedroom for both of us, in a sense, and both of us always hid there when we needed a break or a nap. We had a code-- if we were in the cubby, we were done with people. It worked pretty well, and it was a good thing to have it, except for when guests came over and tried to explore it.

And there I was now, already in my pajamas, with a cup of my favorite drink-- warm orange tea with honey-- and a book. Reading was one of my favorite pastimes, it was quite enjoyable and as long as you had a book on you, you could read pretty much anywhere.

I flipped through the pages, smiling and frowning at the various plot twists and tricks. It was one of my favorite books. It was called The Silver Arrow and held dozens of fairy tales and short stories written by a woman over the course of her life.

I wonder if Remy got my note. I do hope that we can still have coffee together, or something like that at least. That would be nice.

We probably couldn't go to the cafe anytime soon, though, since the doctor told all of us that Remy would have to stay in the hospital for the next few weeks. That was not very good news, but I did hope that we could meet up later.

Yawning, I took a sip of my tea and turned the page, going onto a new story. The tale of the Fish and the Anchor. I didn't remember reading that particular story, so I began to read it.

It was about a girl who lived by the sea, and saw a fish caught in an anchor deep down in the ocean. She rescued it, almost drowning herself in the process, and took the fish back to her house.

The fish asked her if she wanted anything, and she replied to the fish 'someone to talk to. I'm lonely here by the sea.'

The fish moved into the house and began talking to her and helping her out. However, as it was a fish and not a person, it could not survive without water, and slowly died. 

One rainy day, the girl found the fish's body, almost dead, on the cobblestones outside her house. She wept violently, as fierce and sad as the storm overhead. 'Why, why didn't you tell me you needed water?'

The fish smiled up at her. 'Because I had you, and that was all I needed for a while.'

It was good, but not my favorite. I had always preferred stories with happy endings. I started on the next short story.

It was a few hours later when Jan came home, hair disheveled and yawning widely. I glanced up at him and frowned, closing my book. "Where were you, Janus? It's past dinner time. Also..." I looked at the green-and-black jacket he was wearing. "...that's not yours."

He sighed. "I was with... a friend," he mumbled, fidgeting with his hands. "Nothing to worry about. And I already had a sandwich for dinner, Em. Don't worry."

I slipped out of my cubby and smiled at Jan. "Alright then, as long as you aren't lying," I told him. "Anyway, I hope you weren't in like a bar fight or something."

He shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. No fights."

"Good." I began to walk to my bedroom to put my book away. "If you've already eaten, then you can go to bed if you want. But first take the jacket off, it's not yours and I don't know where it's been."

Jan groaned. "Nooo, I like it, I'll do it later..." he pulled the hood over his head and padded off to his own room. "I'm gonna take a shower and go to bed. 'Cause I'm tired."

I rolled my eyes but didn't complain. "Sure, sure... I'm going to go straight to bed as well. I guess see you in the morning?"

"See ya," he told me, already closing his door.

I walked inside my bedroom and flipped on the fan. I usually needed some kind of white noise to help me sleep, so I just used the ceiling fan instead of an expensive white noise machine.

Except for the noise of my fan, the house had become quiet. It wasn't the eerie quiet you hear in abandoned houses, but a peaceful, tranquil quiet where silence covered you like a blanket. It was calm.

Silently slipping onto my bed, I looked up at the tan ceiling and yawned. The lights were already turned off, so I nestled into the covers and tried to fall asleep.

My brain, however, had a different idea. Thoughts continued to tumble around my brain like a hamster on caffeine.

I wonder what Remy is doing right now?

Today was so big. I should help them out somehow, but how?

Is there going to be a trial with Andy? In that case, I suppose I'm a witness, huh? Or something like that anyway, since Remy talked to me about that stuff.

A trial would be really messy right now, wouldn't it? With everyone being all jumbled up and everything?

I heard Jan enter his room since our rooms were next to each other. It sounded like he laid down in bed, and soon, soft purring came from his room. I remembered that he purred a bit when he slept. It sounded similar to a snore, but softer and gentler. 

What was I thinking about?

Can't remember.

Oh well, I should sleep.


End file.
